The Amazing Amazon
Objective:
Students will demonstrate an understanding of how
animals and plants in a habitat are interdependent.
Students will demonstrate knowledge of animals in
the Amazon Rainforest and their structure and
function.
Performance Objectives:
Grade 1: Strand 4 – Concept 1: PO 1-2
Concept 3: PO 3
Strand 6 – Concept 1: PO 4
Grade 2: Strand 4 – Concept 1: PO 1
NGSS 1-LS 1. A & B; 2 – LS 2. A & B
CCSS 1.W. 2; 1.W. 8; 2. W. 3; 2. W. 8
Background Information:
Grades: 1-2
Key Vocabulary:
 Habitat
 Interdependent
 Decomposed
 Adapted
Related Literature:
The Remarkable Rainforest
Tony Albert
Step into the Rainforest
Howard Rice
Rainforest Food Chains
Molly Aloian
When you look at a map of the world, you can see
many areas on Earth that have a rainforest. Areas
located near the middle of the Earth, around the equator, are places where the
weather conditions are perfect for a unique type of forest called a rainforest. The
Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world spanning over 2 million
miles of undeveloped forest land. (See map.) The Amazon Rainforest covers
several countries in South America and is home to humans, animals, insects and
plant life. The vast area contains multiple ecosystems and habitats for the living
creatures that call the Amazon their home.
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So, what exactly is a rainforest? A rainforest is a lush forest of trees and plants that
live in warm, humid weather. These forests get a large amount of rain each year.
Rainforests can average about 160 inches of rain each year, which is why the forest
stays so humid or damp. The average temperature in the Amazon Rainforest is
about 75 to 80 degrees. The Amazon Rainforest is filled with living organisms.
Scientists believe that there may be many species that have not yet been discovered
due to the dense foliage and multiple layers of the plant life. The rainforest
survives as a result of nutrient recycling. The plants that die and fall to the ground
are quickly decomposed and become the nutrients for the next generation of
growing plants. The decomposition is the basis for plants to flourish and life in the
rainforest to continue.
The trees grow quickly in the rainforest climate, some of the trees even reaching
heights of 150 to 200 feet or more. Because the rainforest has so many types of
trees, there is a great deal of shade for the plants and animals that live in the
rainforest. The animals living in the rainforest are very different from animals
living in other types of forests around the world. For example; this tiny little frog is
one of the most colorful and unique animals in the Amazon, and it only lives in the
rainforest.
(Photos by Keri Granado)
The Amazon Rainforest has many different types of plants and trees. Some of the
trees grow very high into the sky. They are called the Emergent layer of trees. The
trees in the emergent layer grow as tall as 200 feet and have limbs that reach out
great distances making shade over the top of the trees below. Large birds fly
around the tree tops and Howler
monkeys swing from limb to limb
in the emergent layer of the
Amazon Rainforest.
The next layer of the rainforest is
the Canopy. This layer is made up
of so many branches and leaves it
acts like an umbrella over the
forest below. Animals like the
Spider Monkey and Scarlet Macaw
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enjoy life in the canopy layer of the rainforest. If you look closely, you may even
see a twisting of vines and plants that hug the trunks of the trees as they reach for
the light above. The canopy is so thick with leaves that it shields some of the rain
from reaching the forest floor. The canopy is the most populated layer in the
rainforest.
The Understory layer is made of smaller tree tops and other plants that live in the
shade and high humidity. The understory contains a large number of insects, vine
snakes, poison dart frogs, butterflies and even the three-toed sloth. The air in the
understory is hot and heavy with moisture.
The forest floor is like a carpet of dead leaves and plant material that covers the
ground. Insects love this area because it is damp, shady and filled with various
sources of food for the animals and insects. The forest floor only gets about 1 to
2 % of the sunlight, but the top soil is rich with nutrients. The forest floor is home
to beetles, lizards, termites, conga ants, snakes, funnel-web spiders, leaf cutter ants,
and even jaguars. Moss, fungi and herbs grow in some of the decaying leaf matter
that fills the forest floor.
(The Amazon Rainforest floor and vine snake photos by Keri Granado)
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Vine Snake
There are many different types of animals living in the rainforest. Many of the
unusual animals are also considered rare and endangered. For example, the threetoed sloth, living in the Amazon Rainforest, is an animal that is in danger because
when trees are removed, the sloth has no place to build a home. The sloth has
adapted to living almost its entire life in the trees. The sloth’s body is built for
hanging from trees and not for standing or walking. Because of the loss of habitat,
there are not many of these unique animals left in the entire world.
(Public domain photo)
This interesting creature is known as the slowest mammal in the world. The
greenish color on the sloth is the algae that grow on the sloth’s hair. Algae grow
because of the sloth’s slow movement and life in the humid, shady rainforest. The
three-toed sloth gets its name from the three long toenails used to grip the trees so
the sloth can climb. The sloth spends most of its time in the treetops and hanging
from branches. Caterpillars also like to crawl on the hair of the sloth. The
caterpillars eat the moss that collects and grows on the sloth. The interdependent
relationship between the sloth, the caterpillars and the moss is necessary for each
to survive. The sloth provides a host for the moss to grow, the moss provides a
food source for the caterpillars and the sloth transports the caterpillars from branch
to branch.
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Plants and animals that live in the rainforest share some common traits. Living
things in the rainforest must be able to survive in a warm, humid climate that has a
large amount of rain. Living in the rainforest means that many animals, like the
squirrel monkey, must climb trees and live in shady areas. Reptiles like iguanas,
green tree pythons and vine snakes have scales that protect their skin while they
climb trees for food and shelter. These are animals who have adapted to life in the
trees. Plants and animals in the rainforest do not like the cold weather, and they can
not live in the very hot weather like the Arizona desert. These are animals that do
not live in dry climates because they must live in a humid area with lots of rain.
Rainforest animals live among the many species of plants and millions of fallen
leaves and vegetation that covers the forest floor. Rainforest animals and insects
must crawl or walk around the deep vegetation to find food, water and shelter.
The Amazon Rainforest is a haven of natural resources. While the Earth’s
rainforests cover less than 2 percent of the land, the rainforests are home to 50
percent of the Earth’s plants and animals. The abundance of living organisms
contributes to the critical importance of the rainforests and the survival of life on
Earth. As much as 20 percent of the world’s oxygen is produced by the plants in
the rainforests. Along with other natural resources such as fresh water, wildlife,
medicinal herbs and plants, trees and other materials used in many household
products, the rainforest provides life-sustaining habitats for over two million insect
species and over 40,000 plant species.
Blue Morpho Butterfly (public domain photo)
(Moth at Jatun Sacha Preserve, Ecuador. Photo by Keri Granado)
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How’s The Weather Outside?
When we talk about the weather, we usually talk about the wind, storms, clouds,
rain, sunshine and even how hot or cold it is outside. Weather changes with the
seasons: fall, winter, spring and summer. Weather also has an impact on the plants,
animals and humans living on the Earth. So, what is the weather like in the
Amazon Rainforest?
The tropical rainforest of the Amazon is a warm and humid place that receives
between 80 to 400 inches of rain each year. The rain is very important to the
climate of the rainforest because it creates habitats for unique plants and animals
living in the area. Because of the daily rain, the rainforest never gets too hot and
stays at temperatures from 70 and 85 degrees. The humidity, which is the water
vapor in the air, is high and generally around 88%. The weather forecast for the
Amazon Rainforest is warm and humid with filtered sunlight in places.
The plants living in the warm, humid rainforest are very important to the Earth. As
plants grow and process the air around them, they create a large amount of the
Earth’s oxygen and provide many resources for the local environment. The
rainforest plants become the homes for insects, reptiles, birds, amphibians and
mammals. Some of the plants in the rainforest have been used for making
medicines to cure diseases and as food for humans. For example, bananas and
mangos are a favorite rainforest food for many people around the world.
If you visit the rainforest, put up the umbrella because the weather outside is rainy!
The Victoria Amazonia (Giant water lily)
can be as wide as 6 feet with a 4 inch ridge
around it. The lily can be found around the
banks of the Amazon River. (Public domain photo)
Sources: The Nature Conservancy; World Wildlife Federation; NOVA; Wikipedia; Discovery Kids; Geography 4Kids; Physical Anthropologist
Andrea Granado; The Rainforest Alliance
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Procedures and Pre-Activities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
State the learning objective.
Review the vocabulary.
Read the related literature about the rainforest and show pictures.
Show the location of the Amazon Rainforest on a world map and give
students the attached map. Title: Amazon Rainforest Experience
5. Conduct an open discussion about animals in the rainforest and compare
them to animals in the local area. Students should be able to identify one or
two differences between these types of animals. (The same may be done
with plants such as cactus and orchids.)
6. Present the background information and refer to pictures to enhance
learning.
7. Discuss the details of weather. Ask students to describe rain storms,
clouds, sunlight, shade (what is shade?) and humidity.
8. Activity: Create a Rainforest. The objective is to have students
demonstrate their understanding of the layers of the rainforest. Students
draw a picture of a rainforest with trees of different layers. They may add a
few animals that live in the rainforest. (Coloring is optional.) Students
follow directions and write a description of the rainforest. Students may
need assistance.
9. Prepare students to visit Butterfly Wonderland. Explain that the
environment in the atrium is similar to the rainforest. Students will notice
many different types of plants, a water pond, warm temperature and a very
humid environment. The butterflies in the atrium must live in the
rainforest-like environment and use the flowering plants for food.
10. Activity: The Taste of the Rainforest
Students love to taste samples of different foods that originate in the
rainforest. (Be sure to check for food allergies prior to this activity.)
Arrange 10 large paper plates on a table. Arrange bite-size samples of the
foods and spices on plates and have student take a sample. (Students have
small paper plates for their samples.)
Suggested Items:
Dried fruits (mango, pineapple, etc.)
Nuts: Brazil nuts, cashews and macadamia nuts
Chocolate (kisses)
Sweet potato (chips)
Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, cardamom
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Discuss the samples tasted and have student select the one they like best.
11. Activity: Who Am I?
The objective of this activity is to help students demonstrate their understanding of
some of the specific traits of animals in the rainforest.
The picture sheet, Amazon animals, can be used for this activity. Teachers may
pre-cut the pictures and distribute them to students or have students do the cutting.
This activity works well with students in groups of five. Each group of five
students will need a set of the pictures.
Copy and pre-cut the worksheet, WHO AM I ?, in half making 5 different cards
(half-sheets). Each student receives one card. The descriptions on each of the five
cards will be different. At this point, with the teacher’s assistance, each student
reads the descriptions and determines what animal fits his/her card.
The student pastes the animal picture that best fits the description on the right side
of the card. Students then share their animal and description with the group.
Materials: Printed worksheets, pictures, paste, scissors
Reflection and Assessment:
After visiting Butterfly Wonderland, discuss the experience in the atrium and
how the atmosphere relates to the Amazon Rainforest. The final assessment will be
completion of the activities and participation in the discussions.
Activity: What am I, and where do I live?
The objective of this activity is to have students demonstrate their understanding of
what animal lives in a particular habitat. The worksheets (toucan and desert
tortoise) have questions for the student to complete. Students study the animals and
discuss their specific characteristics and what habitat is home for them.
Materials: Scissors, printed Animal pictures, worksheet
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Amazon Rainforest Experience
The Amazon River in blue
The Amazon Rainforest in yellow
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Create a Rainforest
Draw a picture of a rainforest:
Write a description of the rainforest in your drawing:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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WHO AM I ?
I live in the Amazon Rainforest
I have antennae
I love flowers
I came from a chrysalis
I float in the air
I am a ________________________________________________
WHO AM I ?
Trees are my home
I love the warm, humid air
I eat bugs
I have many colors
I am dangerous
I am a _______________________________________________
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WHO AM I ?
I live in the rainforest
Trees are my favorite place
I eat meat
I run very fast
I have a beautiful coat
I am a ___________________________________________________
WHO AM I ?
I have long hair
My pace is slow
I have adapted to tree life
I do not like to run
I like caterpillars
I am a _________________________________________________
I can
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WHO AM I ?
My home is in the trees
I can move around easily
My head is colorful
My eyes are round
I love fruit
I am a __________________________________________________
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Amazon Rainforest Creatures
(Public domain photos)
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What am I, and where do I live?
What am I ? _________________________________
Where do I live? _____________________________
What do I eat? _______________________________
Why is my habitat best for me? ____________________________
______________________________________________________
Color the picture and give this bird a name.
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What am I, and where do I live?
What am I? ________________________________
Where do I live? ____________________________
What do I eat? ______________________________
Why is my habitat best for me? ____________________________
______________________________________________________
Color the picture and give this reptile a name.
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